The Oracle Code

12



Kabul International Airport

Kabul, Afghanistan

February 13, 2013

Thomas Lourds deplaned in Kabul, made it through customs without a hitch, and started for baggage claim. He hadn’t made it twenty feet past the checkpoint when he spotted Layla standing next to the wall.

She looked a lot different in Afghanistan than she did when they were in London or Rome or New York. They’d arranged to meet in all those places when her work had taken her there and Lourds could get away.

In Afghanistan, Layla observed more of the customs. She wore a black-and-white-print hijab that covered her head and circled her neck. She honored the traditions, but she did so with her own flair at the same time. The loose-fitting jelbab, the outer cloak, offered no hint of the beautiful body that lay beneath it.

Lourds had seen her in a black evening dress, a bikini, and in the altogether. He didn’t care how she was dressed. She was lovely. For a moment, he just stood there—ignoring traffic—and drinking in the sight of her.

Then she glanced in his direction and saw him. She came across the floor to meet him, and he went to her. When he reached her, she turned and headed to baggage claim with him.

Not being able to hug her or kiss her bothered Lourds deeply, but he knew in Afghanistan, such actions could get her killed. Women still lived tightly regimented lives in the country, which was one of the missions Layla had undertaken to change.

But the change had to come gradually.

“Good evening, Thomas.”

Local time was eight thirty-seven.

“Good evening.” Lourds was used to the stiff, formal greeting. It was a learned behavior while they were in country.

“I trust your flight went well?”

“It did. Thank you.”

“I do wish you hadn’t come here unannounced.”

Lourds grinned ruefully at that. “Since you were waiting at the airport for me, I would hardly say my arrival was unannounced.”

“I talked to Tina.”

“How did you manage that?”

“I called your office. She answered. She seems like a delightful girl.”

“Young lady, actually. An adjunct at the university. She’s taking over my classes while I’m visiting you.”

“That’s very nice.”

“It was.”

“About the visit...”

“Yes?”

“I was unprepared for it.”

The flat statement didn’t hurt Lourds’s feelings. One of the things he most treasured about Layla was her ability to say exactly what was on her mind. “I’m sorry.”

“It is not you. It is me. I should have remembered Valentine’s Day and that you might be tempted to do something special.”

Lourds hadn’t even been able to send flowers because of the culture. Neither he nor Layla wanted to run the risk of some kind of retaliation for her behavior. Trying to manage the Islam rules was proving more difficult than he would have thought.

“You’re right, Valentine’s Day is tomorrow. I thought maybe we could get away. Maybe to Bucharest or to Istanbul. Either one of those places is less than five hours away by plane.”

“It is a very pleasant thought, but tomorrow is a Thursday. That is a workday for me, and I have booked it solid, I’m afraid. In fact, I had to work hard to get off in time to meet your plane here.”

The drive from Kandahar to Kabul was over three hundred miles. There were no available hotels in Kandahar, and large pockets of the city remained without electricity.

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“Nonsense. I care about you deeply. I didn’t want to leave you unattended and unwelcomed.”

“Well, I thank you for that. Perhaps we could have dinner tomorrow evening.”

Layla looked at him with sad, dark eyes. “I wish I could do so, but I have been booked into a fundraiser.”

Lourds refused to be crushed by the distressing news. “Perhaps I could crash the fundraiser.”

“I do not think that would be a wise idea. You would be a distraction.”

“Surely I’m more than a distraction.”

She smiled at him. “You are more than a distraction. And when I get you to your hotel, I’ll show you how distracting you can be.”

Lourds grinned. “We can skip baggage. I’ll have my luggage delivered.”

“I won’t hear of it. We’ll get your things.”

***



When they arrived at the Kabul Serena Hotel, twenty minutes from the airport, Lourds confirmed his reservation and accepted his room key. Layla stood apart from him and didn’t speak. They took the elevator up to the second floor, then slipped into his room.

Once inside, they didn’t waste time on words. He reached for her, and she was in his arms. He hadn’t seen her since Christmas, and for a moment, he just held her, feeling her warm body against his, smelling the shampoo that filtered through the hijab, and hearing her breathing in his ear.

Then the clothes came off, and Layla became his again.

***



Afterwards in bed, Lourds lay on his back and wondered at how being with her made him feel. There was a completeness that he had never experienced before and a calm that fell over him. He thought about the ring in his pants pocket, but he knew he didn’t want to have that discussion now. Having it on Valentine’s Day was apparently out of the question. With everything Layla had planned, he didn’t want to disrupt everything she was balancing.

She lay at his side with an arm across his chest, holding him tightly.

“I am sorry that I cannot be there for you on Valentine’s Day.” She spoke softly.

“It’ll be all right.”

“Yes, it will. I will have some time this weekend, I think.”

“Good.”

“Tina said you will be returning to the university next week?”

“That’s right.”

Layla sighed. “Timing is such a problem.”

“We knew that going into this. We’re both busy people. A relationship like this, you have to work at it.”

“I know. The fact that you’re willing to do so means a lot to me.”

Lourds kissed her tender lips. “You mean a lot to me.”

She smiled and snuggled against him. “As you do to me.” She yawned. “Excuse me. I have been really tired of late.”

“That long drive probably didn’t help.”

“No, and I have to make it again in the morning.”

“I could drive you. Let you sleep on the way back.”

“No. That would cause complications if we were seen. It would be better if you found something to do until we can be together again. I’m afraid I won’t be able to see you until the weekend.”

“All right.”

“I’m sorry, Thomas, that your Valentine’s Day is not going to be as perfect as you had planned.”

“It’s fine. It’ll be fine. I’m sure I can find something to do. I’m in a city that’s thousands of years old. I’m sure there’s some part of it I haven’t seen.”

“I do wish things were different, but they are not.”

“I understand.” Lourds did understand, but he didn’t like the situation either. Perhaps once they were married, things would be different. He looked forward to that. For a moment, he thought about getting the ring, showing it to her, and asking her to marry him right then and there.

But he didn’t. Instead, he felt her soft breath against his bare chest and knew that she was asleep. He closed his eyes and just held her.